Caspian fleet has no ships capable of ballistic strikes on hospital: Russia
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman has said that Russia's Caspian Sea fleet does not have ships capable of carrying out a ballistic missile strikes on a hospital in Syria's Idlib province.
Igor Konashenkov said that Turkey was behind both of the reports that Russian strikes had hit civilian infrastructure in Syria.
"Both of these reports about the alleged destruction of hospitals and schools in Azaz on Feb. 10 and in Idlib on Feb. 15 consist of the same raw data: 'Gazantiep, Turkey.'," Konashenkov said.
Russia says Turkey supplying Syria rebels with weapons, reinforcements
Russia's Defense and Foreign Ministries have said that rebels in Syria are being supplied with weapons, ammunition and fresh recruits via Turkey.
These messages come amid reports that Turkey is pushing for support from its allies, including the United States, for a joint ground operation in northern Syria, as a Russian-backed government offensive pushes closer to the Turkish border.
Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that "under cover of darkness, the supply of weapons, ammunition and manpower continues across the Turkey-Syria border."
Militants were carrying out a "mass evacuation" of their families from Aleppo city to the north of the province near the Turkey border, Konashenkov added.
Defense Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the reason Turkey had vowed not to let the Syrian town of Azaz fall to Kurdish YPG forces was because it lies on a supply route used by Turkey to supply militants.
"Some of our partners have literally implored us 'not to touch' a corridor which is a bit shorter than 100 kilometers on the Syrian-Turkish border around Azaz," Zakharova said.
"Obviously, this is aimed at ensuring continued daily supplies to Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra and other terrorist groups with weapons, ammunition and food from Turkey via this area, and also to allow it to serve as a passageway for terrorists.".
Australian trainers working with Iraqi forces -- part of the U.S.-led coalition's fight against the IS group is to train Iraqi security forces.
Pro-opposition news site DeirEzzor24, which reports news from the Syria's Deir al-Zor province, has tweeted this image that they claim shows an unexploded Russian rocket that was fired days ago in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zor.
German aircraft in Syria 'regularly shadowed' by Russia
German military aircraft flying missions over Syria are being regularly shadowed by Russian fighters, according to a senior commander in the country's air force, The Telegraph reports.
The Russian shadow flights were “primarily a political demonstration,” said Lr-Gen Joachim Wundrak.
German planes are not taking part in combat missions but are carrying out reconnaissance flights to help the U.S.-led coalition target air strikes against IS.
Turkey seeks allies' support for ground operation in Syria
Turkey is asking allies including the United States to take part in a joint ground operation in Syria, Reuters reports.
The move comes amid a Russian-backed Syrian government advance in northern Syria near the Turkey borders, which as Reuters notes, "raises the possibility of direct confrontation between the NATO member and Russia."
A large-scale joint ground operation is still unlikely: Washington has ruled out a major offensive. But the request shows how swiftly a Russian-backed advance in recent weeks has transformed a conflict that has drawn in most regional and global powers.
No proof from West that Russian airstrikes cause civilian casualties: Moscow
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has added her voice to Moscow's denials that its air campaign in Syria is causing civilian casualties.
Zakharova called the accusations "unsubstantiated" and hinted that the criticisms were part of a Western propaganda campaign to discredit Russia.
"Who is saying all this?" Zakharova asked of the accusations of civilian deaths.
"This is being said by Western officials: the [U.S.] State Department, the [British] Foreign Office, the French Foreign Ministry and so on. You are officials, you are official structures, so please, give us official information: any data that would confirm what you say are deliberate mass civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure. For all this time, they have never once presented us with any data: no images, no numbers."
Zakharova went on:
"Once -- and this was not very long ago -- our Western colleagues said that now they have proof that we're not acting right in Syria. And during one expert level meeting they brought photos and showed them. And when the Russian diplomat asked for the photographs to be given to him, so he could take a look, they said, 'Only from our hands.' Have you ever seen anything like this?"
And what about the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria that has been ongoing for years now, Zakharova asked.
"The international community and global media only now found out about the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria? They didn't realize for four and more years that there are children in Syria who are suffering from a massive internal confrontation, wars that are going on there? They didn't say a word about this, they just sent weapons there, money and they sponsored the so called moderate opposition that was supposed to topple Assad," Zakharova said.
"No one thought of the children."
Turkish PM slams Russian complaint to UN over Syria shelling
The war of words between Turkey and Russia over Syria goes on with no "cessation of hostilities" in sight...
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has stepped up his criticism of Russia, Today's Zaman writes, dubbing "shameless" Moscow's move to complain to the UN Security Council about Turkish shelling of Syrian Kurdish militias.
"Russia bombs hospitals, schools. Then it complains to the UN because Turkey takes measures for its border security. What a shameless attitude!" Davutoglu said in a speech to deputies of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) this morning..
"They [US and Europeans] don’t say it openly. Who is carrying out these bombardments? The disgraceful Russian planes are."
Doctors Without Borders just tweeted this about attacks on hospitals in northern Syria this year.
Turks Fear Kurds, Regime Plan to Empty Northern Aleppo of Sunnis (VOA)
Turkish officials fear that Syrian government forces, along with Kurdish fighters, will advance to the border town of Azaz as part of a plan to trigger a new, destabilizing, refugee wave, VOA reports.